A Dose of Down-Time
by CarsCars2Fanatic
Summary: Set after Cars 2. What happens when Foxy catches a cold on the day of the Piston Cup championship? Find out! I don't own anyone you recognize from the movies!
1. Chapter 1

One autumn day, Foxy was startled awake, yelping quietly. She looked around, her eyes wide, her tail puffed up and her ears back. Fillmore nudged her gently.

"Bless ya, Elizabeth."

"Thanks, I think..."

Fillmore chuckled and nudged her again. "Ya don't sound too good." With a whimper, Foxy realized that her throat hurt. A lot. She worked her way completely under the blanket, curled up and moaned quietly. She had to catch a cold on the most important day of the year, of course. The Piston Cup championship. Fillmore, meanwhile, was still confused. He lifted the blanket up with a tire and tilted his front end, trying to peek underneath. "Whatsa matter?"

"Today's the Piston Cup championship." She sighed, her head resting on her arms.

"Sure is. C'mon, let's get goin'." He gave her a smile, dropped the blanket, then backed up, sure that Foxy would tag along like a puppy. When he reached the beaded curtain and realized that she wasn't following along behind him, he turned back, now concerned as well as curious. He rolled back over to her side and nudged her gently. "There's somethin' botherin' ya. What is it?" He asked gently, pulling the blanket up with a tire and pulling her out with the other tire.

"I feel like two month old oil that was left out in the sun."

"Eww."

"Yeah, you're telling me."

"I guess ya can't go to the race then."

"Uh-huh." Foxy groaned reluctantly, and Fillmore placed her under the blanket. He headed towards the doorway, and Foxy watched him curiously. "Where you going?"

"Flo's gonna know what to do for sure, man."

Foxy gave him a half smile, then pulled her head in under the blanket again. She yawned and moaned miserably, curling up into a ball. Why did she have to catch a cold today, of all days? At the sound of two engines, she stuck her head out from underneath the blanket.

"Poor thing. Ya do look paler then usual." Flo nuzzled her gently.

Foxy stuck her tongue out and made a face. "Blegh."

"Stay with her, Fillmore, I'll go make some soup." With that, Flo was gone, and Foxy stuck her head back under the blanket. She curled up, making herself as small as possible, trying to warm herself up faster.

Flo brought the soup over shortly, and watched as Foxy ate it, then began dozing. She dimly felt a tire being draped across her side, and squirmed towards the source of heat, still completely covered in the blanket. She heard a chuckle, and felt the tire give her a gentle squeeze. The tire was removed, and the warmth was gone as suddenly as it had come. She shivered, then wiggled in the direction the warmth had gone.

With a startled yelp, she collided with someone's side. She was lifted off the ground, and snuggled against their side, hoping they wouldn't feel her shivering. Apparently they did, because they hugged her closer. The blanket was pulled down from over her head and she found that it was Lightning's side she was snuggled against. "When did you-" She cringed slightly as her throat screamed in agony, then continued. "-Come in?"

"A few seconds ago. So I guess you're gonna miss the race then, huh?" He looked down at the pale, bedraggled form that was Foxy, loosely wrapped up in a blanket. She nodded slowly, then pressed against his side, her shoulders moving closer together as she shivered. "Awww." Lightning hugged her more tightly, trying to warm her up. "Now you won't get to see me beat Chick by a landslide."

Foxy yawned widely, sniffled quietly, and snuggled deeper into the blankets. "Sorry. I'd go, but I don't think I'd be able to stay awake enough for it, much less get Doc's consent."

"Yeah, I guess not. I'll see you the day after tomorrow then, and hopefully you'll be feeling better."

"Yeah, hopefully."

"Should I take you over to stay with Sally and Thunder?" Without waiting for her answer, Lightning set her on his hood, told Fillmore that she was going to go stay in his cone with Thunder, and rolled out into the midmorning sun. Foxy moaned in protest at the sudden bright light, then rolled over, facing Lightning's hood, her rump in the air.

"Oh, wait." Lightning braked suddenly, and reversed. He picked something up and set it on his hood next to her, then continued towards his cone. When he finally stopped, Foxy felt herself being lifted off his hood. She clung to his hood desperately, wanting the warmth that came from his rumbling engine. "Foxy, I know you're cold, but you've got to let go." She hesitated, then let go reluctantly. She felt the familiar sensation of being gently squeezed, then she was set down gently.

"What's the matter?" There was a female voice, worried. She was too cold and tired to tell whose it was.

"Foxy caught a cold."

"Awww."

The blanket was pulled away from her head again, and she cringed at the sudden light, blinking. Sally took notice at once how pale she was, and looked back up at Lightning. His expression let her know of his worry, and she nuzzled his fender gently.

"She can stay with me, Stickers. You'd better get going, otherwise you'll never get there on time."

"Right. Bye, Sal. Thanks. Bye Foxy."

Another gentle squeeze, then she was set down again and he was gone. At her side was her rasta-colored bag. She looked around for a spot to sleep, but everywhere was too bright, unless-there. She curled up, pulled the blanket up over her head, and drifted off to sleep.

"Oh, Foxy." Sally sighed, seeing that Foxy had chosen to sleep under her desk. She shook her hood, then continued doing paperwork, occasionally petting the lumpy form underneath the desk.

The next thing Foxy knew, she was being gently nudged awake. Through a haze of sleep, her eyes half open she looked up at Sally, who was saying something about food.

"Do you want any food from Flo's, Foxy?" Sally repeated patiently, knowing that Foxy was more then half asleep.

At a faint, sleepy shake of Foxy's head 'no', Sally tried again.

"Anything to drink?"

Another 'no', but a pause. A nod.

"Yes?"

"Please?" Foxy replied in a raspy, sleepy voice.

Sally smiled. "What do you want? Coffee?"

"Water."

"I'll be back soon." With that, Sally pulled away from the desk, threw another smile in Foxy's direction, then pulled out of her lobby. Foxy yawned and began stretching, but at a sudden blast of cold air whimpered and curled up again, shaking. She hadn't realized that Sally had the air conditioner on. She snuggled deeper into the makeshift sleeping bag-slash-nest she had made herself, trying to warm up. She could feel the cold linoleum floor through the blanket, and this only made her shiver more.

Sally returned, but Foxy could hear another, more powerful engine following her towards the desk. "She's probably asleep again. She was out for nearly six hours." There was Sally's voice, then her and the other engine's owner rounded the corner of the desk. Foxy raised her head, looking sleepily up at the two vehicles.

Strip chuckled softly, the sight of Foxy curled up and in a position nearly identical to a canine's amusing. Sally nudged a Styrofoam cup towards Foxy, who picked it up and yawned.

"Thanks, Sally." Just as she was about to take a sip, she made an odd face, coupled with a squeak, her tongue just barely poking out. Her head was buried in the blanket quickly in an effort to stifle her sneezes. Sally and Strip blinked in surprise as Foxy dissolved into a sneezing fit, barely having enough time to breathe.

"Okay, you're done." Sally ordered after Foxy's fifteenth sneeze.

Foxy inhaled sharply, seeming like she was going to sneeze again.

"Don't start sneezin' again, Foxy." Strip sighed, ready for the worst.

Instead of a deafening sneeze, Foxy yawned widely, then snuggled back into her makeshift nest. Strip and Sally both sighed, then Sally replied, "Bless you, Foxy." Strip chuckled, and watched as Foxy took a sip of the water Sally had brought.

"Thanks again, Sally. I'm notorious for that back home." Foxy replied after she was finished taking a drink. "What time is it?"

"Twelve in the afternoon." Strip answered, rolling towards the desk to nudge her comfortingly.

"Thanks, Strip. Bleghh, I feel like crap with a capital 'S'."

"Crap with a capital... That's pretty clever." Strip chuckled, then left the motel lobby, saying that he didn't want to disturb either Sally or Foxy anymore.

"Where do you want to sleep tonight? In Lightning's cone or in here? I'll be up pretty late, and I don't want to disturb you, but I still wanna be able to keep an eye on you." Sally asked Foxy, who tilted her head, thinking hard.

"Where's Thunder?"

"Probably over in Lightning's cone."

"I'll stay here a little while longer, then go over."

"Which is polite terms for 'I'd like to go over now.' Come on, I'll take you now." Sally smiled, gesturing with her hood for Foxy to come out from under the desk. Foxy crawled out from under the desk, bringing the blanket along, scooped up her bag, then staggered upright, yawning. Her and Sally went over to Lightning's cone, and Sally opened the door. The sounds of a running creature could be heard, and Sally called, "Thunder, stay." The sounds stopped, and Sally gave Foxy a smile. "It's safe to go in now."

"Thanks, Sally."

"Of course."

Foxy entered the cone, and closed it. Her feet were dragging as she entered the living room, and she dropped her bag off by the couch. She sank onto the couch, pulled her blanket over her form, then drifted off to sleep again. She didn't hear Thunder come into the room and jump onto the couch at her feet.

When she woke up next, she was being shaken awake gently. With a feeble whimper, she rolled over to face whoever it was, hauled herself into a sitting position, and blinked her eyes open sleepily. Parked there was Strip, and once he saw she was awake, he gave her a smile. She gazed at him listlessly for a moment, more then half asleep, then she flopped back onto the couch. She heard him sigh, then she felt herself being lifted up.

"Noo..." She whimpered quietly, wanting the warmth of the couch. She encased herself in the blanket and shivered.

"You're gonna come stay with me, Foxy. That way ya aren't all alone."

Foxy didn't have anything to say to this, and just snuggled deeper into the blanket.

Strip brought her into his cone, then set her down on the couch. Her haze of sleep deepened, until she was sleeping soundly, facing the back of the sofa, curled up in a ball under the blanket.

She didn't wake at all, not even when the sun shone through the window and directly onto her in the morning. Strip, who had woken up at about eight, was parked at the couch, petting her gently.

At last, she whimpered quietly and rolled over, blinking sleepily. Strip gave her a smile, and in reply, the tip of her tail wagged feebly from the bottom of the blanket. The blanket itself was wrapped around her entire body, and as she rolled over, she couldn't stop and rolled straight off the couch and onto the floor.

"Ohh, friggin' rights."

Strip couldn't help but chuckle at her response, and grabbed an end of the blanket. "Here ya go, Foxy." He pulled the blanket, and watched as she was sent spinning away.

She swayed dizzily, and shook her head. "Thanks for the wake up." She yawned, and Strip chuckled. He wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as she began shivering slightly, and nudged her back onto the couch. "Thanks." She gave him a half smile, and snuggled into the cushions.

"Sure thing, Foxy. I'll go tell Ms. Carrera that yer gonna be stayin' with me." With that, he patted her gently, then departed the room. She heard the garage door open, then close, and sighed.

When the garage door opened again, she heard first one engine come in, then another. This struck her as odd, and she blinked her eyes open, yawning sleepily.

"Hey, you feeling any better?"

She focused on the red blob until it became Lightning, then shook her head gently. "How'd you get back here so fast?" She croaked.

"I told Mack that you had a cold and he nearly flew back here." Lightning gave her a grin, and she managed a small smile. He picked her up, blanket and all, and set her on his hood.

She shivered from the sudden warmth that was radiating from his hood and snuggled against it eagerly.

"Thanks for taking care of her, Strip."

"Ain't a problem, kid."

"Bye, Strip." Foxy replied, already half asleep.

"Bye Foxy. Feel better mighty soon."

"I hope I will." She replied, and curled up.

Strip ruffled her hair gently, and Lightning departed.

"The others are all back, so if you want to see any of them, you can." Lightning told her, and when he got no response, he glanced down at her.

**New story, trying to fill the void between the two major ones. :) ~Liz**


	2. Chapter 2

She was curled up underneath the blanket, and he guessed that she was sleeping again. He grinned and entered his cone. He attempted to set her on the couch, struggling a little as she clung to his hood. "C'mon, you've gotta let go. The couch is more comfortable then my hood by a long shot."

She whimpered quietly, and he sighed.

"Fine, you can stay. But I'm heading over to Flo's." He thought he saw the tip of her tail wag, and couldn't help smiling. He headed out of his cone and towards Flo's, seeing Sally going over at the same time. "Hey, Sal." He greeted her with a smile and a kiss on the fender.

"Hi, Stickers. How was the race?"

"It was all right. I won."

"That's great." Sally gave him a smile, which he returned.

"You know, I could hand her over to Mater, and I could tell you _all_ about it." His smile had turned suggestive, and he had raised an eyelid.

"Mmm, I'd love to hear about it." She replied in a lustful tone, nudging his fender gently with her own.

The two reached Flo's, and the others began asking about Foxy. "She wouldn't let go of my hood." He told them, looking down at the lump on his hood.

"She can stay on my hood for a little." Brian offered, and drove over to remove her from Lightning's hood. With a feeble whimper, she scrabbled against the smooth surface, and was soon being held up in the air by Brian.

"Come on, it's cold." She whimpered, shivering. He set her down, behind his blower, and heard her sigh contentedly. She watched the others from behind his blower for a little, then curled up and fell asleep.

"I don't understand why she's cold. She lives in the desert."

The others chuckled, Lightning and Sally already gone. They returned at nightfall to find Foxy snuggled up against Sheriff's right fender and tire, looking like she was going to fall asleep sitting up.

"I see you finally decided to get up." Lightning teased gently, and got a large yawn from Foxy as a response. He chuckled, and scooped her up in a tire. She flopped onto his hood and was asleep in seconds. "Annd it's naptime again. Figures." The others snickered, and Lightning looked down at her sleeping form. He pulled out of Flo's, and headed for his cone. He dropped her off on the couch with Thunder, then rolled back out.

She rose sleepily, then grabbed her bag. She opened it, and discovered her horse. She smiled faintly, then laid back down, pillowing her head on him gently. Within minutes, she was asleep again, Thunder lying at her side, her horse lying underneath her head.

Later that night, Lightning rolled in to check on her before going to bed, and almost laughed aloud as he took in the scene. Thunder raised his head sleepily and yawned, and Lightning began chuckling. He headed for his bedroom, shaking his hood and still chuckling. He hopped onto the bed and snuggled underneath the blankets, sighing contentedly. His thoughts swirled through his mind, a dizzying circle of happiness that he had won the race, and sadness for Foxy. Finally he sank lower on the bed and was fast asleep.

About two o'clock in the morning, Lightning was nudged gently. "Hmm?" For a response, whoever it was snuggled against his tire. He blinked his eyes open sleepily and looked to his left. He spotted Fillmore's tye-dyed blanket that had been in Foxy's possession, and smiled sleepily. He laid a tire over the lump in the blanket and pulled Foxy closer, trying to warm her up. He heard Thunder jump off the couch and come padding into the room. He felt the large dog jump onto the bed, and trot towards him and Foxy. Suddenly, he felt a tongue licking his fender and heard sniffing. "No, Thunder, no. Lie down and go to sleep." He whispered frantically, and sighed when the dog plopped down at his right side.

The three returned to sleep, and that was how Sally found them the next morning. She couldn't help but smile at the scene, knowing that Lightning felt that Foxy was like a little sister. The sight of Thunder snoring quietly and sprawled out at Lightning's side added to the hilarity, and Sally giggled quietly.

Lightning snapped awake, looking around frantically. "Oh, Sally. Hi." He gave her a sleepy-eyed smile after he yawned.

"I see you had a sleep over last night." She gave him a smile, which he returned.

"Yeah."

"Why wasn't I invited?" She replied with a small laugh, seeing that Lightning was feeling awkward. "I'm kidding. Come on, let's get these two up and somewhat awake." She nudged Foxy, who whimpered and moved, but didn't get up. "Don't make me go get Sheriff..." She teased, and watched as Foxy didn't budge. "Or even worse... Doc."

Lightning grinned, playing along. "Sally, I'm begging you. Don't do that, that's torture!"

Sally barely held in a laugh as she continued. "Why don't I just go get them both? I mean neither one of them are morning-lovers, so that's double the torture."

"Sally, you're evil!" Lightning exclaimed, bursting out laughing. Foxy still remained in bed, only a yawn and whimper to show that she was somewhat awake.

"I'll be back." She gave him a grin, then whispered that she was going to get Sheriff.

"Why?"

"If anyone likes bossing other people around, it's either him or Sarge, and Sarge is always awake at this hour."

Lightning grinned maliciously, and Sally departed. She returned a few minutes later with Sheriff, as promised.

"Sheriff, Foxy's awake, but she won't get up out of bed." Sally gave him a grin, letting a small laugh slide out, and Sheriff chuckled. He gave her a wink, then rolled to the doorway of the bedroom.

"This is the Sheriff, come out with yer blanket up over yer head and yer hands where I can see 'em!" Behind him, Sally and Lightning were giggling quietly, like children. Sheriff heard a loud, whining moan coming from the darkness of the room, and chuckled. "All right, I'm comin' in after ya!"

With that, he rolled into the room, let his eyes adjust to the light, then pounced on Foxy, tickling her playfully. As she squealed in surprise and began squirming, he began laughing, and soon had her wrapped up in the blanket.

"Sheriff, let me out." She whimpered, and Sheriff started laughing again.

"I'm takin' ya in. Ya ain't goin' nowhere."

"Sheriff, I'm not in the mood for Cops and Robbers. Now let me out."

"Too bad." He carried her outside, blanket and all. Once there, he opened the blanket, revealing a very sleepy-looking and slightly irritated Foxy.

"Can I go back to bed now?"

"Nope."

"Sheeeerrrifff." She whimpered, giving him her puppy-dog expression.

"Want some cheese with that whine?" Lightning replied, then started laughing, Sally and Sheriff joining him.

"Hmmph." Foxy replied, then curled up in the blanket again and went to sleep. Sheriff hoisted her onto his hood, and tossed the blanket up over her.

"She'll probably wake up hatin' me for it, but it was funny." He told the two, chuckling. The three rolled over to Flo's and Sheriff set the sleeping Foxy down at his side. She slumped down to the ground, and curled up under the blanket, pinning it underneath herself in the process.

About a half an hour had passed when the others were alerted to an incoming 'Foxy sneeze'. They heard a gasp, then rapid-fire sneezing coming from the blanket. It looked and sounded like someone had lit a firecracker underneath it. Sheriff had nearly jumped through the awning when her sneezing fit started, but now he was just staring at the mass of tye-dye with disbelief. Finally, with a large gasp, the sneezes stopped. The townsfolk sighed as one, but those around her jumped when another sneeze sounded, this one nearly a scream. Thunder bolted for the safety of the cone, making the others laugh.

"Bless ya, Foxy." Sheriff responded once he had stopped laughing.

"Thanks, Sheriff." A loud yawn, then Foxy was still again.

**Hi, everyone! Want to let you all know that there won't be an update on Saturday. There's going to be one today! :D I'm going on vacation, and don't know when I'll be back (obviously not in time to update on Saturday), so I'm doing it real quick today before I leave. :) See you all on my next update, whenever that is! And P.S. HAPPY SUMMER! ~Liz**


	3. Chapter 3

"So hold on a minute. Sleeping perfectly fine, then she gets a sneezing fit, out of nowhere. Then she falls asleep again right after." Lightning replied, looking over at her in bewilderment. "I'll never understand her." He sighed, rolling his eyes up to the sky.

Foxy was asleep at Flo's for the rest of the day, until Lightning scooped her up and set her on his hood. With a whine of complaint, Foxy rolled over.

"Foxy, you've got to come. Flo's is closing for the night." As Lightning looked around, taking notice that he, Foxy and Flo were the only three left, he heard a large sigh coming from the blanket on his hood. He rolled over to his cone, and set her down in his bed, at his side. He felt her shiver and scoot closer. Laying a tire over her side and hugging her again, he turned the lights off and settled down beside her. Sure that she was asleep again, he fell asleep also, Foxy snuggled into his left fender.

In the middle of the night, Foxy rolled over with a whimper, nearly hanging off the bed. She whimpered again in her sleep and her top half slid off the mattress and onto the floor, less then a foot below. She looked like a strange seal, but slept on.

When Lightning awoke to find her like that, he snickered quietly. "Foxy, what did you do?" He shook his hood in bewilderment, then gently lifted her fully onto the bed. Even that small movement was enough to wake her, and she sat up, blinking sleepily and yawning, her ears tipping forwards.

"Morning."

"Morning, Foxy. Feeling any better?"

"Little bit." She replied croakily before yawning and stretching out like a dog, her tail arching up and over her back. She squirmed around, trying to find a warm spot in Lightning's bed. Finally she did, and sank into the mattress, sighing softly.

"Want anything?"

She blinked her eyes open and found Lightning at the side of the bed. "Warmth." She whimpered quietly.

He tossed her blanket over her, and Thunder laid down at her side. "Anything else?" Lightning asked with a smile.

She shook her head, then thanked him before curling up against Thunder and hugging him to her. Lightning ruffled her hair gently, then left.

"Foxy didn't come with ya?"

Lightning shook his hood, then replied, "She didn't want anything either. Something just doesn't seem right..."

"Why's that?"

"Shouldn't she be eating something? It feels like we're starving her."

"She'll come looking for food when she's hungry enough."

"I hope so..." Lightning replied, still doubtful.

**The next installment of A Dose of Down-Time! :) Sorry it's short, I was stuck with writer's block, and I wanted to upload more of it for you guys, but I couldn't think of anything to write. :/ Anyways, here it is! See you soon with FORD and NEIWICUTB! :D ~Liz**


	4. Chapter 4

Around noontime, he rolled back over to his cone to check on Foxy. He entered his bedroom and found her curled up in a ball, with Thunder curled up around her. He heard a low whimpering noise, and as he rolled closer he still wasn't sure wether the noise was coming from Foxy or Thunder.

"Thunder?"

Thunder's head rose from the bed, but the whimpering noise didn't stop.

"Foxy, what's the matter?" Lightning asked, gently picking her up. Her whimpering didn't stop, and Lightning could think of nothing to do but pet her and hope that she woke up.

With a shuddering jolt, she shot upwards, her eyes wide with fright. She uttered a small squeak, and the ears on her hat went back. Lightning continued petting her hair gently, then set her down on the mattress, looking at her worriedly.

"You all right?"

Foxy nodded, but he could still see the wild, frightened look in her eyes.

"No you're not. What was it?" He asked, climbing onto the mattress at her side.

"It was a giant clown head with razor-sharp teeth and the need to eat me."

"Sounds like something out of a horror movie." Lightning replied.

Foxy nodded again, and Lightning laid a tire over her gently. She snuggled closer to his side, and Thunder crawled over to her. He looked at her for a few seconds, then licked directly up the middle of her face.

Lightning burst out laughing as she tried to wipe Thunder's saliva off herself. Thunder was laying in front of her, looking pleased with himself as he wagged his tail. Once he had stopped laughing, Lightning asked her if she wanted anything.

Again, she shook her head, and he couldn't help but feel even more worried then when he entered the cone. He squeezed her gently with the tire laying over her back and side, then removed it. Replacing it with Fillmore's blanket, he ruffled her hair gently, then told her he'd be back in a few minutes. He was, and when he entered his bedroom, she noticed that he had a bowl of something on his hood.

"What's that, Light?"

"Food."

"I thought you didn't eat anything?"

"It's not for me."

Thunder rose from the blanket, sniffing the air eagerly.

"Thunder, don't even think about it. These are Foxy's." Lightning warned, and Thunder laid down again.

"You said 'these'. That means that it's not soup..."

"You're right." With that, he set the bowl down on the table closest to Foxy.

"I told you I didn't want anything."

"Doesn't matter. You aren't going to starve yourself."

The ears on Foxy's hat went back as she looked up at him guiltily.

"That's right, I figured it out. Now take one and eat it." Lightning told her sternly, and she reached her hand into the bowl, only to pull out a green apple.

"An apple?"

Lightning nodded, then replied, "My mom told me that an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Foxy would have laughed if Lightning's expression weren't so serious. All the same, she nodded and took a bite. Lightning waited until she had eaten the whole apple, then nodded with satisfaction.

"I'll leave them here, and you'd better keep eating them." He warned gently, shaking a tire at her.

"Yes, mother." She replied, and she sounded so serious that Lightning snickered.

"I'll be back later tonight. Mater wants to go tractor-tipping again." He nudged her gently, then left the room. When she was sure that he was gone, she curled up in his bed and drifted off to sleep again. She awoke only when she heard someone entering the room, blinking her eyes open sleepily.

"Go back to sleep. It's just me." When she heard the whispered voice, she sighed, snuggled deeper into the bed, and was asleep again. Sheriff sighed, then gently picked her up and set her across his hood. He couldn't believe that the kid would just take off with Mater and leave Foxy alone. Granted, she was with Thunder, but the idea of a doggy nursemaid was preposterous.

**Hi! More A Dose of Down-Time! Peter Pan reference in this one, see if you can find it. ;) I'm working on this story in extremely random spurts, so that's why some days there will be nothing, and three days in a row I'll have somerhing uploaded. XD I'm uploading all my other stories tomorrow too, since my boyfriend and I are going to see Despicable Me 2 on Saturday! :D (I'msoexcitedIcan'twait!) See you! ~Liz**


	5. Chapter 5

He looked down at Foxy curled up, watching as she tried to find a comfortable position on his slightly uneven hood.

When she had settled down, he rolled out of the cone, glancing between Foxy and the road ahead to make sure that he didn't allow her to roll off his hood.

When he reached the police station, he set her down in the old dog bed that his partner had used.

Tucker, or Tuck for short, was gone from the town for nearly fifty years now, but that didn't mean that his memory had to fade.

The bed, made of cowskin, was in a slight state of disarray but was still useable. Rolling backwards slightly to survey the scene, he nodded once, then settled onto his own mattress, satisfied.

A few hours later, he was awakened by the sound of something moving around. Blinking sleepily, his hood sleepily swung from right to left, surveying the dark area for the source of the noise. "Nyeh!" He exclaimed quietly as something collided with his right front fender, making him jump.

"Whozat?" An equally sleepy voice came out of the darkness, and Sheriff snorted in mild irritation.

"Foxy, what're ya doin' up at this time? It's late."

"Couldn't sleep." A yawn proved the voice wrong, and Sheriff groped around, attempting to find her.

"Foxy, where are ya?"

"Here."

"Where's 'here'?"

"I'm not sure." She reached out blindly, and heard a yelp.

"Hey, watch it!"

"I think we found each other." She heard a slightly irritated sigh, and laid down where she was. "Sorry." She felt a tire clumsily pat her down, trying to ascertain which was she was facing. She moved her head closer to the tire, and gently butted her head against it.

What she got for her efforts was a tire pressed against her face. "Hey, watch it." She replied, in a slightly more constricted voice then normal.

"Ya sure do have a bad cold, Foxy."

"That's not the cold, that's you nearly breaking my nose with your tire." The tire was removed, and Foxy wiggled her nose, trying to ascertain if it was broken. It wasn't, and she laid down again. No sooner had she laid down, then something pulled her gently towards the voice.

"Let's us both go back to bed."

"Agreed." She felt a tire being draped over her side, and snuggled closer to the warmth of Sheriff's side, shivering slightly.

The two drifted to sleep, and were rudely awakened by a shout in the morning.

"SHERIFF! Foxy's miss-oh..."

When the door rolled up, Lightning spotted Foxy and Sheriff laying side by side. Foxy yawned widely, and blinked up at him sleepily.

Sheriff, however, gave him a sleepy-eyed glare.

**EmilyTheBrave: It was right at the end, with the doggy nursemaid. (Nana, I think she was in the movie, I'm not sure about the book...) Hope it helps! :)**

**Oooh, Lightning's in Troooubllle! XD FEEL THE WRATH OF THE SLEEPY SHERIFF!**

**And Aww, snuggly Sheriff. :3**


	6. Chapter 6

"Sorry. I found Foxy missing and didn't realize that she wanted to have a sleep over."

"She didn't. Ya weren't there, so I took 'er for the night."

"I was tractor-tipping with Mater."

"Yeah, but ya should at least have dropped her off at one of the others'."

Lighting's hood lowered guiltily, and he looked meekly up at Foxy. "C'mon, Foxy."

Foxy yawned and rose from Sheriff's side. She waved with a sleepy hand in his direction as she sat down on Lightning's hood.

"Bye, Sheriff." She replied, sounding more then half asleep.

"At least let 'er stay until she's more awake." Sheriff gave Lightning a look, and he lowered his hood, letting Foxy slide down.

"All right. Bye Foxy."

"Bye Light." She flopped down at Sheriff's side and fell asleep shortly. Sheriff watched as the door rolled down, then laid a tire over Foxy's side and fell back asleep himself. A few hours later, both began waking up, first Foxy, then Sheriff.

"Mornin'."

"Morning, Sheriff." Foxy yawned widely, then stretched. "Coffee?"

"That's a mighty good idea." Sheriff chuckled, ruffled her bangs gently, then opened the door of the station. The two exited, then meandered down the street together, Foxy asking if she could join the force.

Sheriff chuckled, then shook his hood. "Ya would think it was too much work, and then ya would never get through it."

"Looks like you're feeling better."

"Yep. All I needed was a dose of down time." Foxy grinned, and Flo set a cup at her side.

The end of the day found Foxy fast asleep, curled up underneath Mack's front bumper. He pulled aside slightly and began petting her, being careful not to set his tire down too hard.

"She's all worn out." Flo laughed slightly, seeing Foxy. Mack and the rest chuckled, remembering how Foxy had nearly flew around the café, excited to be able to interact with the others again. She had wrestled with Harry, Paul, and Sara, getting pinned by all three, yet she had still tried to fight, laughing the entire time. Now, however, she was fast asleep, and even Red scooping her up in a tire, cradling her gently, then setting her on the pavement and petting her didn't wake her.

About a half an hour later, the townsfolk began drifting away, wishing others goodnight. Soon, the only ones left were Fillmore, Sarge, Flo, Foxy, and Red. Red smiled as Fillmore rolled over, then picked up Foxy. Fillmore lifted her up onto his roof, then took her back to his dome, setting her down in her chair. Lightning had returned her bag, her horse, and the blanket earlier, and now she was snuggled underneath the blanket, the tip of her tail twitching contentedly.

**Aww, Foxy's all better. :3 How was that for a short story? I hope you guys liked it! :)**


End file.
